The apex court issued a notice to Civil Aviation Ministry and Air India on Monday, on the basis of a plea filed by a transgender Shanavi Ponnuswamy against the airline, said a report by the Live Law. The petition was filed by Shanavi seeking a direction to the national carrier to appoint her as a cabin crew.

She claimed in her PIL that the airline refused to consider her for the job because of her gender. The SC sought a response from the ministry with a two-week time period asking why is there no mention of the third gender in the Air India recruitment application.

Filing a petition

Ponnuswamy is an engineering graduate who has earlier worked with Sutherland and Air India Customer Support. She underwent a sex change operation and became a female. In her petition, she has referred to the NALSA judgement of April 2014 to strengthen the case.

Petitioner had to fill in and apply as a female but her application was rejected. She also said that she was forced to drag the matter to the SC as her repeated representations in examinations and doing well in the tests and representations to the aviation authorities fell on deaf ears. She also took the matter to the PM, but even her pleas fell on deaf ears.

The SC had earlier in 2014 directed the Centre and the State government to grant recognition of the gender identity, whether it may be male, female or third gender. This gave the transgenders, the right of self-identification of their genders.

Shanavi plead the apex court to issue a writ or a direction in the nature of a mandamus directing the concerned respondents to the consider the application of the petitioner for the post of a cabin crew in Air India.

The petition read the following:

“The petitioner has taken four attempts so far but unfortunately she hasn’t been short-listed for the post in question even though faring well in the tests conducted. The petitioner learned reliably that she has not been able to make the cut on account of the fact that she is a transgender and the vacancies in the cabin crew were earmarked only for women.

The petitioner has been rejected even though she has the required qualification and experience. The petitioner went to the office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to discuss the issue of selection in the Air India CMD. It is unfortunate that the public servants who are in such important posts, do not think it to be there to meet the general public for the redressal of their grievances”.

What is the NALSA judgement

The widely hailed judgement, National Legal Services v. The Union of India, is colloquially called the NALSA judgement was passed by the Supreme Court in India that recognised the rights of transgender people and said that they should enjoy all the fundamental rights that are enumerated in the Indian constitution. The judgement gave broad directives to the Central and the state governments on affirmative action, public health, social welfare and other services to be made available for transgender people.

The NALSA judgement petition said: “SC of India in its pioneering judgements in the division of benches of Justices K.S Radhakrishnan and A.K. Sikri in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and Ors recognised the third gender along with the male and the female. By recognising diverse gender identities, the court has busted the concept of the “man” and the “woman” which is generally accepted by the society. The recognition of the transgenders as the third gender is not a social or a medical issue but a human rights issue, said justice K.S Radhakrishnan to the apex court while handing down the ruling.

The right of equality before the law and equal protection of the law is an essential part of living life with dignity. It is guaranteed under Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution. Determining the right to personal freedom and self-determination, the Court observed that the gender to which a person belongs is to be determined by the concerned person himself. Further, they cannot be discriminated against on the ground of gender as it is violative of articles 14, 15, 16 and 21.”

The Logical Indian Take

The Logical Indian community condemns the discriminatory actions of Air India meted out against Shanavi. This incident is an example of how in spite of the NALSA judgement being passed over two years ago, it is not is effectively being implemented in the society and the transgender community continues to face the brunt of discriminatory behaviour.

This is not an isolated incident. In February 2015, Telangana Hijra Samiti had reported over 40 attacks on the transgender people within a span of six months. A report by the Al-Jazeera revealed that a transgender person dies after an accident as the doctors could not decide which ward to use for his treatment, the male or female ward.

In spite of being qualified in the tests over a couple of times, Shanavi was rejected by the Air India authorities. Such discriminatory actions against the transgenders are fundamentally wrong in nature. They should be entitled to equal opportunities. The Logical Indian urges the concerned authority to incorporate the directions of the SC so as to ensure the transgender community does not face any form of discrimination in future.

In A Progressive Step, Kochi Metro Gives Jobs To 23 Transgenders

Partner Story

Even at 76, Pradip Burman, the zestful chairman of Mobius Foundation radiates a contagious enthusiasm when he is talking about sustainability. The environmental crusader, better known to many as the great-grandson of Dabur founder Dr S.K.Burman, has devoted substantial attention towards promoting the concept of sustainability in all aspects of life. He refuses to conform to the convenience and comfort in today’s world which ultimately adds on to the adverse effects of climate change.

Talking to The Logical Indian, Burman emphasised why sustainability as a concept is indispensable for us. “We ought to be aware of what lies ahead of us. Soon we will finish the oil, iron, tin, and coal, and our next generations will be left with nothing. Recycling, banning plastics, stop felling trees for paper… This should become a part of everyone’s lifestyle,” he urges.

Mr Burman watering a sapling at the tree plantation drive organised by his non-profit Mobius Foundation

Traditional wisdom and modern research

A mechanical engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, Burman had always nurtured a keen interest in helping the society, as evident from his graduation project of designing a sonic aid for the visually challenged, which detected obstacles in the way using ultrasonic wave signals.

As an executive for the nature-centric company Dabur, Burman has always opted for natural alternatives to solve his everyday problems like taking Ayurvedic medicine to cure his Arthritis. He later launched the veterinary wing for Dabur – Ayurvet – which provides nature-friendly solutions for animal health care.

A patron of the ancient scientific wisdom of India, Burman always hailed the confluence of “traditional knowledge and modern research”, which he advocated as the Ayurvet motto.

Ayurvet is one of the best ventures by Mr Burman

As part of the CSR initiative of Dabur, Pradip Burman founded SUNDESH (Sustainable Development Society) which has been tirelessly working for last 25 years in remote villages for uplifting the rural communities in an environmentally sustainable way.

An advocate of sustainability

Burman believes that sustainability is the indispensable mantra for the world at present. Due to uncontrolled utilisation of the planet’s resources by human beings, the world today stands at a juncture of destabilisation. Today the human race has reached the pinnacle of progress but the advancement is happening in a very unsustainable manner.

Through energy-efficient use of everyday essentials like transport, communication, altered habits of diet, clothing and daily living, some crusaders of sustainability try to reduce their carbon footprint. Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is one of the forerunners toward sustainability goals.

Mobius Foundation aims to change the sustainability dynamics

In 2015, Burman paved the way for the start of Mobius Foundation, focused on sustainability. Named after 18th-century German mathematician August Ferdinand Mobius, the famous Mobius strip has an important philosophical significance. The extraordinary shape symbolises balance and union.

Similar is the essence of Mobius Foundation which wishes to enhance the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” principle to a widespread basis in India, helping generations to come.

Founder Pradip Burman wishes to achieve notable development in education, population stabilisation and renewable energy projects.

A dream school in the making

At Coorg, Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is constructing the World Environment School, Coorg (WESc) where the curriculum will surpass the boundaries of books and classrooms, with a special focus on hands-on learning in close collaboration with the environment. Amidst the pristine natural beauty of Coorg, the school will nurture young minds to grow up into future green leaders. As of now, the school will be open to teenagers, welcoming students from standards 6 to 12.

Needless to say, World Environment School will be the first-of-its-kind not only in India but also in entire South Asia. The school is expected to start from March 2020.

The school promises to nurture the responsible behaviour of citizens of our future.

The Sustainability Conference of 2019

In 2019, the Mobius Foundation has planned an international conference, on the lines of the celebrated earth summits over the past decade. The 2019 International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE 2019) aims to bring together environmental activists, practitioners of sustainable development as well as climate change experts to help develop a sustainability-focused curriculum.

It is surmised that the conference will give a platform to innovative concepts of Sustainability Education including an essential change in the existing education system ensuring a wholesome personal development for a student.

The Sustainability crusader

The Mobius founder strongly believes that it is high time to sprout sustainability awareness among a society drowning in consumerism and unknowingly doing irreparable harm to the planet, every second. The best way to achieve this goal is through education which is available to all. At present, the education system is predominantly career-oriented, making the learners a victim of materialism, and thus, their dreams are also outlined in those colours.

Living beyond the limits

When asked about his wish to attain the age of hundred, he strongly asserts that more than becoming a centurion, he wishes his life and work continue to better the society even in his absence. “I have lived my life. I wish that whatever I start before I go, will continue – for the betterment of my country,” says Mr Pradip Burman.

He is also a trustee of the Climate Reality Project – India (affiliated to Mr. Al Gore of the Climate Reality Project Foundation, USA). Climate Reality Project, India, has been actively engaged igniting the spark and spreading the message of climate change amongst educators, policy makers and civil society. The India branch looks after more than 500 trained Climate Leaders, and more than 900 volunteers spread all over the country.

In his journey, Pradip Burman has been a beacon of hope for millions, motivating many to join the movement for sustainability. We wish he continues his tireless efforts for promoting sustainability awareness and inspire generations to come.